A Few Notes Before We Start

Unless indicated otherwise, the stories I recommend will not contain death, rape, bestiality, or Snape in a leading role. Snape-lovers best find a rec page more suitable to their taste, as I personally cannot stand the greasy-haired bully.

All stories rec'd here are complete; if they're WiP, they will be labeled as such. What kind of stories do I rec? I'm looking for what I consider reasonable-to-good characterization. Spelling and grammar are not optional, dammit, and misspelling the characters' names won't get an author very far with me either.

I like a variety of pairings, with Sirius/Remus being my favorite. I lost a lot of love for Draco after OotP, so the amount H/D recs will probably decrease. As I mentioned above, I don't care for Snape, so stories with him in it are out by default. I despise with a passion Ron/Hermione, so there's none of that here either, and H/G? Let's not even start.

I read pretty much all genres in HP, so there are slash recs, het recs and gen recs here. If you have any comments or criticism, it may be directed here. Be polite, or I'll laugh.

The recommendations

Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Normal Teenage Problem, by Lassiter (gennish, but Justin's hunting)
This is a brilliant comedy fic that satirises Mary Sue, only takes the normal MS routine and turns it upside down. Mary Sue is very much a side-character who shags her way through Hogwarts, while daily life in Hufflepuff goes on the way it always has. And all Justin wants is a damn date. Funny and charming and have I mentioned I want to have this Justin's babies? Yeah.

Breakfast, by Glockgal (Oliver/George)
Eeee! This little ficlet just makes me break out in mad squeeing because it's oh-so squee-worthy. Oliver is confused by something George's done after a victorious Quidditch match.

In Theory, by Thistlerose (Sirius/Remus)
A very nice, very sweet S/R story. Very little plot, but absolutely wonderful dialogue. Sirius and Remus look at the stars, contemplate life after the war, and then Sirius comes up with this plan for Remus that's just... heartbreaking. And they're obviously so much in love :). Great story.

Pride in Love by Amethyst Divergence (Harry/Draco).
Angsty. Draco wants to take a flying leap off the Astronomy Tower; Harry won't let him.

Irresistible Poison by Rhysenn (Harry/Draco)
Angsty, long, WiP, humor. Yes, it's the old love-potion plot. Rhysenn manages to write both Harry and Draco in a fully believable way and takes her sweet time developing their reluctant relationship. A H/D classic.

Protective Bonds by Sadie Dragonfire (Harry/Draco).
Harry & Co. play with a book. Things go downhill from there. Much like Rhysenn's story, Sadie Dragonfire takes time and care to build up the relationship between Harry and Draco. There are some genuinely funny moments in the story, which lights up the ambiance at exactly the right time. Go read.

Cry For Help by Sera (Harry/Draco).
Despite the title, it's actually quite funny. It's not the world's greatest story, but I really, really, really liked it. I laughed out loud several times and it's a definite pick-me-up for those dreary rainy days.

Draco Malfoy's Christmas Wish by Rhysenn (Harry/Draco).
It's cute and funny and sweet. Ten minutes well spent.

Love Ridden by Romie (Harry/Draco).
Sixteen parts, complete. Harry thinks about Draco. Draco thinks about Harry. Also touches on some canon issues-slash-problems, such as the "why would the Founders create an evil house?". Must read. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be: insightful. Romie nails both Harry and Draco.

How Harry Potter Got His Groove Back by durendal (Harry/Draco).
HHPGHB is, sadly, unfinished as of yet, but the three parts that are already up are hysterically funny. Draco Malfoy is convinced he's landed in an alternate reality; how does he deal with that? Slash(y), Harry/Draco, mentioning of James/Lucius/Severus, and more. Go read.

Quelle Chance! by Beck (Harry/Draco).
Humor, sex, more humor, and lucky charms. Features Draco/Harry as well as dead-sexy-male!Blaise/Draco. (Link altered to lead to AstronomyTower version.)

Bend Me by lodestar (Harry/Draco).
Sometimes (or, more accurately, most of the time), parodies suck. This one doesn't. It's a hilarious parody of slash fic, with Harry/Draco leanings.

Draco Malfoy and the Heart of Slytherin by Sabershadowkat (Harry/Draco).
This is one of the best H/D stories I've ever read, with a nice, slow long build-up toward a relationship between the arch-enemies. It doesn't rush things and the author's charaterization of Harry and Draco is, simply put, brilliant. A story I can't recommend enough, especially for those new to Harry/Draco.

Snitch! by Al (Harry/Draco)
"Snitch!" an AU, portraying Harry and Draco as gangsters and gay lovers who have left the wizarding world behind them after certain... events... took place (saying more would be spoiling it). I liked the characterization, though none of the characters are completely how they are in the books. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It's complete, divided into ten parts. (If the link doesn't work, it's because it's taken off-line to be re-written.)

Veela Magic by Lasair (Harry/Draco)
Voldemort has recruited Draco Malfoy in his plans to take over the wizarding world. But is Malfoy as committed to the Dark Side as LV thinks he is? And what role does Harry play in all this? Eventually Harry/Draco and Fleur/Cho. WiP.

A Rare Descent, Passing Through, The Eleventh Doorkeeper by shalott (Harry/Draco, WiP)
Neville is a Seer. Draco is the key to a prophecy that could destroy them all. shalott's intriguing, very canon-like story is sadly unfinished, but the stuff that's already up is brilliant to read. It's supposedly slash, but the H/D stuff isn't there yet. Be aware of the deaths. There are a lot of deaths, including deaths of beloved canon characters.

Sins of the Father by Ali Wildgoose (Harry/Draco)
Fifth year fic. Harry and Company return to a half-empty school, filled with whispers of a dangerous future. Harry finds himself turning to the one person who doesn't want to have anything to do with him. Ali manages to keep Draco very much in character, and his struggle with his fellow Slytherins is painful to watch. Excellently written, very canon-like and all in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read. WiP, three chapters up.

The Crush Trilogy, by Zahra (Harry/Draco)
This trilogy consists of And Now For Something Completely Different, Lemon Zingers and Straberry Jam and Public Displays of Affection. Harry has had crushes before, but this time, it feels like more of a crush. In-character Harry and Draco, deliciously written, smooth, and overall an excellent and sweet tale. Enjoy reading it. I know I did.

The Anniversary Present by Knight Smeg (Sirius/Remus)
A mix between gen, het and slash. Sirius helps James prepare an anniversary gift for Lily. Remus helps too.

Harry Has Two Godfathers by Der Fischmob (Sirius/Remus)
Parody of the book "Heather Has Two Mommies". ::giggle::

Try and Paint the Devil by Naraku (Sirius/Remus)
It's Hallowe'en and Remus has picked out a very special costume for Sirius.

Copy of of Report on Surprise Inspection of Case #14568 by Treemonisha (Sirius/Remus)
Two delegates The Office of Werewolf Support pay an unexpected visit to the Black/Lupin household. One of them might not survive the experience.

Apogee by Llamajoy (Sirius/Remus)
A sweet, sexy, funny first time story for adolescent Sirius and Remus.

Moon Scars by Llamajoy (Sirius/Remus)
Sirius discovers Remus' secret.

A Particular Affinity by Canis M. (Sirius/Remus)
Sirius Black makes a decision and gets thrown out of a library. Or: how Sirius decides his Animagus form. This story is so simple, yet so wildly romantic, and Canis M is one of the all-time great S/R writers. Great characterization.

A Lily Story: The Alpha by Tabitha Jones (gen, MWPP)
"The Alpha" chronicles Lily Evans through her first year. This is exactly how I imagine the Marauders and Lily when they were young. It could've been written by JKR herself. Plot, humor, angst, a little romance... One minor quibble I have: they don't talk like eleven-year-olds. Other than that: go read. Now.

A Lily Story: The Beta by Tabitha Jones (gen, MWPP)
Sequel to "The Alpha", chronicles Lily's second year.

A Lily Story: The Gamma, by Tabitha Jones (gen, MWPP)
...guess *grin*. "The Gamma" is the sequel to "The Alpha" and "The Beta" and follows Lily Evans through her third year at Hogwarts. Tabitha is now also incorporating OotP information in the story, so beware the spoilers. (WiP)

The Marauder Monologues by Juliane (Lily/James)
This is a recent discovery. It follows the lives of James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily through a series of monologues written in the first person. This story really surprised me because generally, first person is really hard to pull off. The voices rock my world; the spelling and grammar are impeccable and the story is so compelling that one minute I'm near crying, and the next I'm laughing so hard I nearly fall out of my chair. Do read this story; it's the best one I've come across in a long time.

Can't Be Held Responsible by Amy Fortuna (gen, dark)
I can't say too much about this story, because I'd give it all away. It's a dark story, focusing on Harry. It's the kind of story that makes you think. The author's notes say that it might even make you mad. Consider that a warning.

Innocence Lost and Found by Iniga (gen)
Don't be put off by the somewhat cheesy title, please. It's a fifth year story, action/adventure, focused mostly on Sirius, Remus, and Harry. Not slash, but there's lovely book-like Sirius/Remus subtext.

The Draco Trilogy by Cassandra Claire (various pairings, gen/slash)
Cassandra Claire's "Draco Trilogy" gets rec'd everywhere by everyone, but I put off reading it for so long because it wasn't slash ::ducks and runs::. But now I have finally finished it and I must say that everyone was right: brilliant stories, these three. The saga starts with Draco Dormiens (complete), then continues with Draco Sinister (also complete) and ends with Draco Veritas (currently in progress; 12 chapters up). It's an adventure-type story, which also focuses a bit on the Hogwarts founders. Draco is still Draco, only a little more sarcastic and often dressed in leather. Pairings are Harry/Hermione and hints of Draco/Hermione, Draco/Ginny and one-sided Ron/Hermione. For slashers among us, the Harry/Draco subtext is enough to keep me happy :).

Love, Narcissa by Narcissa Malfoy (Lucius/Narcissa implied)
Narcissa writes to a friend about the Quidditch World Cup and how it brought up some painful family memories. I love the characterization of Narcissa here, and the almost naive tone of her writing. A short story with great characterization.

Draco Malfoy: The Amazing Bouncing... Rat? by Maya (Draco/Coffee, Draco/Hermione)
Yeah, okay, so the title isn't very promising, but this story had me in stitches. The story is now complete, Draco/Hermione (she actually made me like it), with Harry/Draco subtext thrown in on purpose. Someone turns Draco into a ferret (again) -- now all he has to do is deal with an overly touchy-feely Ron Weasley and try not to fall in love with Hermione.

Swimming, by Schuyler (Harry/Ron/Hermione)
This would count as the one and only threesome story that I've liked -- in my entire history of reading fanfiction. So that's saying a lot, as you can imagine, because I really don't like threesomes. I love this one. Love. It. It's Harry/Ron/Hermione and so achingly beautiful I immediately re-read it after I'd finished it. No smut, but that isn't necessary. It's unbelievably beautiful.

A Spirit Of Brotherhood by torch (gennish)
Dumbledore makes Severus Snape, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black work togther without killing each other. Will they succeed? torch's characterization is absolutely wonderful and her imaginative way of writing sucked me right into the story. Great insight into the characters, making their actions and deeds sound belieavable, all this combined make it a wonderful read. Gen.

Albus' Dumbledore's Inbox by Indigo Ziona (gen)
This is the type of story that could go horrible wrong in the hands of a bad author. However, Indigo Ziona manages to make this off-canon tale smart, interesting and, above all, funny. It lets us take a peak into the e-mail inbox of Hogwarts' famed Headmaster. Spam, battling staff members, forwarded surveys and worried questions from students -- mix these ingredients together and you'll get a wonderful little tale. Good for a laugh or two (or seventeen).

Hogwarts Fanfiction Academy by Meir Brin (gen, satire)
Yes, the OFUM spin-offs have come to HP fandom. In the grand tradition of Camilla Sandman's Official Fanfiction University of Middle-earth, Meir Brin has written a wonderful Hogwarts version. Want to write HP fanficion? By all means, go ahead -- but get your degree from HFA first. Mini-Aragogs not only look vicous; they are vicious, and Tom Riddle and Lord Voldemort can be deadly to the average squeeing fan-girl. Must read for any HP-fan.

I have discovered I have a secret love for well-done HP stories focusing not on regular characters, but on original or background characters. I guess it's because not only are the characters in Harry's world interesting, but the world *itself* fascinates me to no end. There are a number of stories out there that I keep going back to, because the authors have created interesting, dynamic, non-MS characters that I enjoy. If you don't like OCs, this section is not for you.

The Years of the Snake: Year One by Karei (gen)
Complete. Tom Riddle hasn't always been evil. This is the story of his school years, and tells us how a young, innocent boy could grow up to be the most feared wizard in the history of the wizarding world.

Slytherin Rising by J.L. Matthews (gennish, Snape/OFC)
An interesting look at the Slytherin house, Severus Snape, and legacies some of the characters would rather avoid. I detect a hint of Mary Sue-ism in one or two characters, but it's not entirely off-putting. I do think it's a shame the author didn't grab the opportunity to show Draco in a better light; in a story focusing on Slytherin I sort of expected a Malfoy with more depth than JKR has given him so far. Otherwise, good read, excellent plot and tightly written.
And yes, this would count as the sole Snape-rec on this page. However, I tend to skim through his scenes in this story as I'm more interested in the other original characters.

Birds of a Feather by Nethilia (gen)
We all know there are other houses beside Gryffindor. BoF tells the story from the POV of the Ravenclaws of Harry's year. Well-developed OCs, with their own backgrounds and personality, and a good read overall.

Sounds like a Breakfast Cereal by Ara Kane (gen, OC/OC)
This one's a bit iffier to rec, because the main character definitely exhibits some Gary Stu characteristics. Still, the story gets points for being about the 'boring' Hufflepuff house, having a good dose of humour, and being well-written. I enjoyed it tremendously.